City Beach NYC seeks funding

Floating beach on the Hudson is latest idea for getting the most out of NYC's waterways

Blayne Ross, a self-described creative entrepreneur, producer, triathlete and experience designer based in New York, has come up with an idea for a floating beach that would navigate the Hudson River. Called City Beach NYC and designed by workshop/apd and Craft Engineering, the project would transform the upper deck of a barge into a sand-covered space replete with beach chairs and umbrellas with the lower deck being used for a science museum for kids and a restaurant.

The project will need permits and capital, so Ross has turned to crowdfunding in the hopes of getting the project off the ground. He is also hoping a major sponsor will step up to fund the project, like Citibank which sponsors the City’s successful bike sharing program.

Ross envisions that the beach barge would accommodate about 500 to 600 people at a time. If permits can be acquired, City Beach would dock in several locations along Manhattan’s West Side. In the winter when not in use it would be stored at a shipyard. While an adventurous idea, Ross says the project is grounded in needs and he believes it would be a major success if given a chance.

“This whole thing started for me when I went out on a weekend along the West Side, and the park was packed," Ross told Fast Company. “There was not a blade of grass to be seen. It showed me that we want to be outside, but we don’t have enough spaces to do that.” Instead of taking down buildings or reclaiming new park space, City Beach NYC offers an alternative for adding to the Manhattan shoreline and of course the summer fun.

If all goes well, City Beach NYC could be up and running by the summer of 2016.